←
→

Appointment Season

Posted: February 3, 2022 | Author: | Filed under: Bishop's Blog, Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference | Tags: , |Comments Off on Appointment Season

Dear Friends,

I give thanks to God for your ministry across the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference, in every place, and in every community where God is at work through the United Methodist Church.

As you know, this is the season when the cabinet begins its annual appointive work. Already, district superintendents have been in consultation with pastors and congregations who are anticipating a pastoral change this year. Those changes will be announced in worship on Sunday, April 3, 2022.

This is my tenth appointive season as your bishop. The cabinet has learned much from you as we have done this important work. Congregations and pastors have taught us that in some cases, there is never a good time to make a pastoral change. Pastors have taught us that the needs of families often outweigh any other considerations. Families where both spouses have careers create challenges to the vow made to itinerate.

Next week we begin in earnest the appointive season. During February, March, and April, the Appointive Cabinet will meet to consider pastoral changes. Our district superintendents are consulting with pastors and congregations during this season to determine where we need to consider changes.

The chair of the P/SPRC will receive a letter from me which will be read in worship on April 3, 2022. This is when congregations will learn of their new pastors. 

The P/SPRC Chair will not announce where the departing pastor is moving. This will be the responsibility of the pastor who is departing, and the pastor will choose how to share that information.

Later in April and May, the district superintendent will convene covenant meetings with the P/SPRC where the new pastor will be introduced to the committee.

The actual moving day for clergy is not yet determined. It’s likely that Sunday, June 26, will be the last Sunday of your current pastor’s appointment. The first Sunday for your new pastor will likely be July 10. This delayed start relieves a new pastor from beginning on the July 4 holiday weekend.

Please be in prayer for the cabinet. This is intense work. It is work that impacts congregations, pastors, and pastoral families. Each appointment is important to the disciple-making process in every community and United Methodist congregation within the bounds of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference.

We covet your prayers and thank you for your faithfulness. May God be with us all in this season.

Bishop McAlilly

←
→